A Bazillion Dollars on What?

Well, after two-and-one-half years, and a bazillion dollars, NASA’s no closer to solving its launch problems. Once again, bits of foam insulation fell off the Space Shuttle’s external fuel tank during the initial phases of launch. Subsequently, the shuttle program is again grounded indefinately.

Quite frankly, even though the thing is as impressive as hell, it’s failed its design goals miserably. Consider that the initial design spec called for a vehicle that could take off and land at any commercial airstrip, and, what we got was something that can only really land in two or three places (none of which are commercial airstrips) and has be to chucked into space like a spear. And, although supposedly designed for long-term re-use, the things are failing after a limited number of launches.

Maybe privatization of NASA would be a “good thing.” Get the politics out of the space program, and let true inovators take over. Maybe, just maybe, things could be done correctly.